Inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain in brain of rats subjected to an experimental model of depression.
Depressive disorders, including major depression, are serious and disabling. However, the exact pathophysiology of depression is not clearly understood. Life stressors contribute in some fashion to depression and are an extension of what occurs normally. In this context, chronic stress has been used as an animal model of depression. Based on the hypothesis that metabolism impairment might be involved in the pathophysiology of depression, in the present work we evaluated the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes and creatine kinase in brain of rats subjected to chronic stress. After 40 days of mild stress, a reduction in sweet food ingestion was observed, as well as increased adrenal gland weight, when compared to control group. We also verified that control group gained weight after 40 days, but stressed group did not. Moreover, our findings showed that complex I, III and IV were inhibited in stress group only in cerebral cortex and cerebellum. On the other hand, complex II and creatine kinase were not affected in stressed group. Although it is difficult to extrapolate our findings to the human condition, the inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain by chronic stress may be one mechanism in the pathophysiology of depressive disorders.
Rezin
Gislaine T
GT
Laboratório de Fisiopatologia Experimental, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
Cardoso
Mariane R
MR
Gonçalves
Cinara L
CL
Scaini
Giselli
G
Fraga
Daiane B
DB
Riegel
Rafael E
RE
Comim
Clarissa M
CM
Quevedo
João
J
Streck
Emilio L
EL
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001928:Brain Diseases, Metabolic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
D015415:Biomarkers; D003402:Creatine Kinase